10 comments:

I didn't remember Boles hurting his knee in the 1989 Minnesota game. Didn't Welbourne suffer his knee injury in the same game? I'm almost positive he did, though Tripp played in 1990 (and he played in all 12 in 1989.) Does anyone remember the chronology of this?

I tried to track down some info on what became of Welbourne, but couldn't find much. Whenever he was hurt, his injury caused him to slip to the 7th round in the 1991 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Vikings.

He played in two games for Minnesota in the 1992 season and that was it.

I'd be very interested to find out what he's doing now. He might have been the best safety to play for Michigan over the past 30 years.

After some Googling, Welborne (I spelled it wrong in the first message) was hurt in 1990. He was an All-American in both 1989 and 1990. His injury in the Minnesota game caused him to miss both the OSU game and the Gator Bowl versus Mississippi.

I would attach a link to Bentley Library website that discusses his career, but I don't know how to do it in this medium.

Masked Avenger, I believe the link you're referring to is this one.Boles and Welborne were both injured against the Gophers, though in different years. Only Boles can blame the fuzzy cement that was the Metrodome turf.

You are right. I thought it was one of the two-consecutive road games anomolies that sometimes occur. But I just looked it up on the mgoblue.com site and 1989 was on the road and 1990 - the year Welborne was injured against Minnesota - was at home. Apologies to the Metrodome turf for the mistake.

showing my age, but i was at the Minnesota game in which Wellborne blew his knee/leg out. he was running back a punt and was cowboyed about the Minn 20 yd line (north east corner of the end zone where we sat). rolled thru the tackle and came down awkwardly on the knee(looked a lot like the tackle that shortened Bo Jackson's career, though it was a different injury).

coincidentally, i also went to the ND game in south bend that season. Wellborne and Todd Lyght(sp?)were both pre season all americans that year at corner, and both had big games. over the years, never saw an NFL game w/ Lyght playing that i didn't wonder about what Wellborne might have done in the pros.

A sad article, hopefully it has a happy ending. However, anyone who was at Michigan during his career is not surprised at his drug use as his nickname in certain circles was Tony "Smokin'" Boles. The article left out the part about him stealing the starting running back's car (it was either Emmitt Smith or Tony Dorsett at the time) during training camp which probably led to, or was right after, the drug test.

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